February 5, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2015
For more information,
Contact: Natalie Lester
Moxley Carmichael
(865)544-0088
Phyllis Y. Nichols, leader of the Knoxville Area Urban League, has received the Beal Bourne Business Image Award, which is presented each year to an honoree who helps support minority business owners.
Nichols was selected for the award from the Phi Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., based on her work with entrepreneurs and small business development in her position as president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League.
Phyllis Y. Nichols, center, Knoxville Area Urban League president and CEO, accepts the Beal Bourne Business Image Award from Phi Beta Sigma fraternity members Cedric Jackson, left, and Jered Croom, right.
“One of the fraternity’s initiatives, Bigger & Better Business, was started to foster support for minority-owned businesses,” said Mark Allmon, chairman of the Image Awards dinner, where Nichols was recognized earlier this month. “With the work that Phyllis Nichols and the Urban League do to support business and the entrepreneurial spirit in Knoxville and surrounding communities, it was a natural fit and honor to select her as the recipient of the award.”
The Knoxville Area Urban League has several programs, including a micro-lending program, that assist business leaders with capital needed to start and run their businesses. Last year, the Urban League was granted certification as a community development financial institution, which further strengthened its ability to provide capital, credit and technical assistance to residents and businesses, service providers and developers.
“At the Urban League, we believe that every individual in our community who possesses entrepreneurial vision, ingenuity, drive and desire should have access to resources needed to establish and grow a business,” Nichols said. “I’m honored to accept this award from the Phi Sigma Chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, and I’m grateful for the organization’s support in our mission.”
About the Knoxville Area Urban League
Since 1968, the Knoxville Area Urban League has assisted disadvantaged people attain social and economic stability and self-sufficiency through direct services and advocacy. The League works to provide a skilled and diverse workforce; to increase homeownership; to support economic and small business development, and to enhance education efforts for our youth. The Knoxville Area Urban League is a United Way partner agency and affiliate of the National Urban League. The League’s work and results are evident in the lives of the over 8,000 people it touches each year. For more information, go to www.thekaul.org.
